Animal-trap



2 SheetsSheet 1. W. VOGT. ANIMAL TRAP.

(No Model.)

Patented Nov. 28, 1893.

W. VOGT.

ANIMAL TRAP.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

Patented Nov. 28

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM VOGT, OF DALLAS, OREGON.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 509,561 dated November 28, 1893.

' Application filedDecemher 13,1892. $erial No. 455,073. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Veer, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Polk and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Trap, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to traps; and it has for its object to provide an improved construction of trap, especially designed for shooting gophers automatically, as the same strike against the operating mechanism of the trap in their perambulations.

To this end the invention primarily contemplates an improved trap which provides means for the discharge ofa gun, which by means of the scattering shot will effectually kill, instantly, such animals as gophers, rats, rabbits, foxes and the like, and with this in view p the main object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and easily controlled shooting trap.

With these and many other objects in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed;

In the accompanying drawings:--Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shooting trap constructed in accordance with this invention, being shown as set for killing gophers as well as rats and other destructive animals. Fig. 2 isabottom plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is acentral vertical longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 4: is a bottom plan view of the apparatus, the hollow spring box being removed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A represents the flat body plate or board of the trap which forms a support for the various parts thereof, and said board is provided at its rear end with an inwardly extending notch a, and in the under side thereof with the groove at, extending longitudinally from end to end thereof. The body A, is supported on the front and rear U-shaped leg frames B and B, respectively, the front leg frame having its looped end pivoted at b, at the front lower end of the body A, and provided with an angularly set locking tongue or crank 72, which when the said front leg frame is folded out to the front of the body, rests flat against the front end of the body, and is engaged by the notched catch pivoted to the body A, near its front end, to hold the front leg frame in its outspread position.

The rear leg frame B, is longer than the front leg frame B, and is pivoted at O, to the bottom of the body near its rear notched end, and is provided with a central front portion 0, working in the bottom groove a, of the body and adapted to strike the transverse stop bar 0, which limits the outspread position of the rear leg frame, both of said leg frames, when outspread, being at an incline and serving to support the body A, at a slight inclination. Both of the leg frames are designed to be folded under the body A, when the trap is being moved. Connected at one end to the crank c of the rear leg frame, is the sliding guide bar D, which works in the longitudinal groove a, in the bottom of the body, and in the slotted or looped guide cl, at the front end of said body, and said guide bar is cranked at its front end to form an upwardly extending arm (1, terminating in an eye (Z to form a combined guide and support for a portion of the operating mechanism to be hereinafter described.

Arranged upon the under side of the body A,is the hollow bar E,which box accommodates the sliding spring actuated trigger operating rod F. The said sliding spring actuated rod F, has one end thereof working within the box E, and has connected thereto one end of the coiled spring G, the otherend of which is connected to a suitable point of attachment within the box, so that when the said rod is drawn Within said box, the tension of the spring is to normally eject the same therefrom. The rod F, has connected to the inner end thereof within the box the short connecting arm H, terminating at one end in an eye It, working through a slot h,in the bottom of said box and connected to the turning setting frame or wire I. The turning setting frame or wire I, is of approximate U -shape, and is pivotally mounted at 'i, on the bottom of the box E, and said setting frame or wireis provided between its journals or points of pivot with a central crank portion J, to which is connected the eye of the connecting arm H. One arm of the setting frame I, provides means whereby the said frame can be turned by the fingers in a direction to compress the spring and withdraw the rod F, into the box, while the end of the other arm of said frame when turned in this position is engaged by the lower hooked end of the trip lever K. The trip lever K, is pivotally mounted in the box E, at one side and near the lower end thereof, and projects through a slot 70, in the body A, and terminates at its upper end above the body A, in an attaching eye When the upper end of said lever is drawn or shoved toward the rear end of the body A, the same releases itself from the setting frame, thus allowing the spring to eject the rod F, from the rear end of the box. The rod F, is provided at its extreme outer end with a series of adjustment perforations L, which receive the pin Z, adj ustably attachingthe triggerloop M, there to. Said trigger loop M, is designed to work within the trigger guard of an ordinary gun N, and pull back on the trigger of such gun when the rod F is shot back by the releasement of the tension of the spring G, as described.

The gun N, is suitably clamped to the body A, so that the trigger and trigger guard thereof at its rear end projects into the notch a, at the rear end of the body A. The said gun which is clamped to the body A, necessarily follows the inclination thereof, and has its front end rest on the U-shaped gun rest or holder frame 0. The U-shaped gun rest frame 0, is provided with an outer depressed end 0, for the reception of the gun barrel, and terminates at the ends of its arms in the right angularly disposed journal or ends 0 which are designed to be sprung into the side eyes 0 secured to the opposite sides of the body A. The gun rest 0, is supported in position by resting on the upper looped portion of the front leg frame B, and when not in use may be either swung backout of the way or be sprung out of engagement with the eyes 0 Adapted to be arranged alongside of the gun barrel is the strike rod or needle P. The rod P, is provided with an inner hook end 19, adapted to engage the eye 70, of the lever K, and is guided and supported in the guide and. supporting eye 01 at the upper end of the arm d. Loosely working on the rod P, are the 'U-shaped gun clamps Q, having opposite spring arms adapted to clamp over the gun barrel. The clamps Q, serve. to hold the strike rod in a line with the disposition of the gun barrel, so that the discharge therefrom will be directed quite accurately at the animals, which strike against the strike block p, at the outer end of the rod P, and which block is arranged in position for burrowing animals particularly to strike against. The said strike rod can be of any suitable length. It will be readily seen that when the gun is loaded and the hammer thereof raised, the operating mechanism herein described is set, so that the slightest knock against the rod P, will cause a discharge of the gun.

Certain animals will not run against a strike block blindly as gophers and similar animals, and in order to secure the discharge of the gun for such animals I employ an operating line R. The line B, has hooks r, at each end thereof, one of which hooks is placed in engagement with the eye 70', of the lever K, and from such connection the line is passed over the side guide roller S, attached to one side of the body A, near its rear end, and thence through the guideloop or eye 8, near the front end of the body so that a pull on the line will draw the lever K, rearwardly to release the gun operating mechanism. The other hook of the line is attached to one end of the bait line T. The bait line T, is carried to a position in line with the discharge of the gun by the ground guides 23, and has at its outer end a bait hook 2?, on which is placed suitable bait for rats, rabbits, foxes, 850. By the use of this line attachment the trap is adapted for several classes of annoying animals.

Changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a shooting trap, the combination of the flat body plate or board, folding leg frames pivotally connected to said body and the rear one of which is longer than the front frame to support the body plate or board at an inclination, a gun removably clamped on top of the body plate or board, a spring-actuated trigger operating rod arranged in position under the body plate or board, an adjustable connection between said trigger operating rod and the trigger of the gun, a setting frame connected with said spring-actuated rod, a trip lever mounted in position in the body plate or board and connected with the setting frame, and means for tripping said trip lever, substantially as set forth.

2. In a trap, the combination of a flat'body plate or boar .l, U shaped leg frames pivotally connected to said body and the rear one of which is longer than the front leg frame, means for locking said leg frames in their outspread position, and gun shooting devices arranged on said -body, substantially as set forth.

3. In a trap, the inclined body plate or board, front and rear U-shaped leg frames pivotally attached to the body and provided with central crank portions adapted to limit the outspread position of the leg frames, a notched catch arranged to engage the crank portions of the front leg frame, a transverse stop bar arranged to hold the crank portions of the rear leg frame which is longerthan the front leg frame,and shooting devices arranged on the leg supported body, substantially as set forth.

4. In a trap, the combination of the in clined body having a bottom groove, folding leg frames supporting the body, andthe rear one of which is provided witha central crank portion working in one end of said groove, a sliding guide bar moving in said groove and connected at one end to said crank portion and provided at its other end with a combined guide and supporting arm having an eye, said bar being extended from the body when the cranked leg frame is extended, gun shooting devices arranged on the body, a trip lever adapted to have one end thereof connected with said devices, and a strike rod guided and supported in the eye of said guide and supporting arm and connected to said trip lever, substantially as set forth.

5. In a shooting trap, the inclined body, a gun removably clamped on said body, a springactuated trigger operating rod arranged beneath the body, a trigger loop adj ustably secured to the outer end of said rod, and adapted to move within the trigger guard of the gun, a U-shaped setting frame pivotally mounted beneath said body and having a central crank portion connected with the inner end of said spring actuated rod, a pivoted trip lever having a hook end adapted to engage the ends of one arm of the setting frame when set, and animal discharging devices connected to the lever, substantially as set forth.

6. In a shooting trap, the inclined body, a gun removably clamped on the body, a box arranged under the body and having a slot in the bottom thereof, a spring actuated trigger operating rod, having its inner end working within said box and adapted to have its outer end in connection with the trigger of the gun, a U-shaped setting frame pivoted to the bottom of said box and provided with a central crank portion, a short connecting arm working in the slot of said box and connected to the inner end of the spring actuated rod and to the crank of said setting. frame, a trip lever mounted within the body and said box, and having a lower hook end adapted to engage one arm of the setting frame when set, and animal operating devices connected to thelever, substantially as set forth.

7. In a shooting trap, in combination with the supporting body having opposite side eyes, and suitable gun operating mechanism, of a U-shaped gun-rest frame provided with an outer depressed end and right angularly disposed inner ends-adapted to be sprung into the side eyes of said body, and the gun removably clamped on the body, substantially as set forth.

8. In a shooting trap, the combination with the leg supported body, of the gun operating mechanism having a trip lever, the gun removably clamped on the body, a sliding combined guide and support arranged in a line with one end of the trip lever, a strike rod passed through said eye and having a'hook at one end engaging one end of the hook lever and a strike block at the other end, and U- shaped spring gun clamps loosely mounted on said strike rod and adapted to clamp over the gun barrel, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM VOGT. Witnesses:

O. B. HAYTER, B. F. MULKEY. 

